Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders on the Great American Desert

esert, fanned the cheek of Hi Lang. He inhal

d. The animals were restive, they were stepping from side to side and an occasional snort was heard, but they quieted down when he went

was to step to Hippy

ates returned?" questioned Hippy

t awaken the young ladies just yet. C

e. Hi paused by the embers of the cam

ut and set our equipment

ght?" demanded

ed Hi, pointing towar

th all their former brilliancy. Off to the westward, however, there were no stars to

of the cloud," said th

like the surf,"

that the cloud is carrying along with it. We'll l

hat we can do to pr

so we may find them after the storm. Without weapons we should be in a bad way, especially if our friends, the pirates, return, but I rec

such a roar as one can hear by placing an ear to the openi

Hi Lang, now became a chill blast, moderate, but

e been born up in Iceland. Talk about your heat on the desert! Pe

ng la

ow, blistering, sizzling hot; and the water courses probably will dive

ad been awakened by the breeze and had come up be

n the young ladies. Knock down your tents and sit on them or you wo

ow. The tents were laid flat, weighted with such equipment as might be expected to hold them the

ser!" announ

l we do?"

an no longer stand u

. Lang?" called

bout you. Be sure to keep your heads covered. If you fin

re," suggested Hippy, but no one laughed at his sally.

eeps his mouth o

, which the wind was not ye

, Jist t'hen wind knock top-side off an' blow 'um up to s

the concluding words of his song having been lost in

elled the guide just befo

s thing. Sand rained on the blankets, covering the girls of the Overland Riders, and now and then som

of sight in a twinkling. She screamed for help, but no one heard her, and Emma threw herself down in the sand, or was

e listening, listening, wondering how much longer they would be

be possible. Grace found herself wondering if the Arabian simoon,

instantly. The sand beat on their faces and heads like sharp-pointed tiny hailstones. Their eyes were blinded by it, and their bodies burned as if they had been

ough as a matter of fact it had blown itself out w

yelled the guide in Hippy's ear,

of sand, if there is a pound on it, this very

strong. It will die

the minute I

easing. The guide finally poked his head from under the blanket, shadin

and starting to beat his way against the gale toward

ch other to keep from being blown away, every head r

eyes," shouted Hi. "Gale's

er feet, and almost instantly landing on her b

up by Hi and Hippy, all leaning against the wind, clinging to each other, and, with handkerchiefs in their

that they fell forward on their faces, and for a few moments there was a mixup that, in ordinar

th sand that they were too blinded to see the sta

ater from your canteens and wi

ed the guide. "Let's see where

I had not thought o

full, aren't they

nd," spoke

do is to settle the

the color of the landscape, for Ping had b

many horses

avvy.

o finding the others somewhere on the desert, but we can't do much to improve our situation until daylight

aze upon," declared Elfreda Briggs, tossing her fallen hair up and down to s

observed Anne. "I thank my stars that it is so da

I feel I must be a te

comes Hi. Ha

The water hole is buried so deep that we have lost